How to compare alphanumeric values in two columns in Excel?
If you have two list of alphanumeric text values, and now, you need to compare these two columns and find the duplicate or unique values. Are there any quick methods to solve this problem without check them one by one? In this article, I will talk about some tricks for dealing with this task in Excel.
Compare methods for comparing alphanumeric values
Compare alphanumeric values in two columns to find the same values
Compare alphanumeric values in two columns to list the different values separately
Compare alphanumeric values in two columns to select or highlight the same or different values
Compare methods for comparing alphanumeric values
The three methods below compare alphanumeric values in different ways. The formula is useful when you want to mark matches, VBA can create separate lists of values that appear in only one column, while Kutools for Excel is designed for quickly selecting and highlighting same or different values directly in the worksheet.
| Method | Best for | What you get | Key consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formula | Checking whether values in one column also appear in another | Displays a "Match" label beside matching values | Requires entering and filling a MATCH-based formula down the result column |
| VBA code | Creating separate lists of values unique to each column | Lists "A not in B" and "B not in A" in separate columns | Requires VBA code and may need code changes for a different worksheet layout |
| Kutools for Excel | Quickly finding and visually identifying same or different values | Selects matching or different cells and can apply background or font color | No formulas or VBA — choose Same Values or Different Values and apply the desired highlighting |
Compare alphanumeric values in two columns to find the same values
Here is a formula can help you to identify the same alphanumeric values both in column A and column B, please do as this:
Enter this formula: =IFERROR(IF(MATCH(B2,$A$2:$A$11,0)>0,"Match"),"") (B2 is the cell which you want to compare with another column, A2:A11 is the data list that you want to be compared with) into a blank cell beside your data columns, and then drag the fill handle down to the cells that you want to apply this formula. Now, you can see a text “Match” displayed next to the corresponding cell if the cell value exists in both columns, see screenshot:
Compare alphanumeric values in two columns to list the different values separately
To find and list all different strings from the two columns separately, the following VBA code may help you, please do as follows:
1. Hold down the ALT + F11 keys to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.
2. Click Insert > Module, and paste the following code in the Module Window.
VBA code: list the different cell values from two columns separately:
Sub Compare()
'Updateby Extendoffice
Dim I As Long, J As Long, K As Long, M As Long
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
J = 1
K = 1
M = Cells(Rows.Count, 2).End(xlUp).Row
Range("D1").Value = "A not in B"
Range("E1").Value = "B not in A"
For I = 2 To M
If IsError(Application.Match(Range("A" & I).Value, Columns("B"), 0)) Then
J = J + 1
Range("D" & J).Value = Range("A" & I).Value
End If
If IsError(Application.Match(Range("B" & I).Value, Columns("A"), 0)) Then
K = K + 1
Range("E" & K).Value = Range("B" & I).Value
End If
Next I
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
3. Then press F5 key to run this code, and the different values in the two columns will be listed into column D and column E separately as following screenshot shown:
Compare alphanumeric values in two columns to select or highlight the same or different values
If you want to quickly compare two columns without setting up formulas or VBA, Kutools for Excel's Select Same & Different Cells feature provides a convenient solution. It can select same or different values and optionally highlight the selected cells with a background or font color.
After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as follows:
1. Select the two columns separately by holding the Ctrl key, and then click Kutools > Select > Select Same & Different Cells, see screenshot:
2. In the Select Same & Different Cells dialog box, please do the following operations:
(1.) Check My data has headers if you don’t want to compare the two column headers;
(2.) Select Each row under the Based on section;
(3.) Select Same Values if you want to find matching cell values under the Find section;
(4.) If you want to highlight the selected cells with a background or font color, check Fill backcolor or Fill font color under the Processing of result section.
3. After finishing the settings, click OK. A prompt box will display how many cells have been selected, and the matching values will be selected and highlighted according to your settings, see screenshot:
Notes:
1. If you select Different Values in the Select Same & Different Cells dialog box, the different values in the comparison will be selected and highlighted as shown below:
2. To select or highlight results in the other column, swap the ranges in the Find values in and According to boxes as needed.
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Demo: Compare alphanumeric values in two columns using Kutools for Excel
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